Coworking

For 30 days in August–September, I took a test run of coworking at CoCo Coworking and Collaborative Space.

Overall, the experience was great. It's nice to have a place to go to get work done, among other people, in an aesthetically pleasing environment (both of CoCo's locations are lovely).

When you cowork at CoCo, you're surrounded by a sense of community – a feeling that the people sharing your space also share a common goal of accomplishing something (not really the vibe in a coffee shop or cafe). And there's a relaxed openness. Come as you are, when you please, for as long as you like. If you want to talk to other people, great. If not, that's OK, too.

I really enjoyed the days I spent at CoCo and hope to try coworking again someday.

That said, I should admit that my coworking experience was not as complete as it could have been. I had great intentions, but it didn't necessarily work out the way I'd dreamed. I did learn a few lessons along the way, though. If you're considering coworking, maybe these will help.

Lesson #1
First, I am not working on any major projects at the moment, nor was I looking to start any. I had a naive hope that signing up for coworking would motivate me to show up and find inspiration. Instead, I woke up each day with no clear goals for the day, which made the idea of packing up and going to a public location to be an aimless drifter rather unappealing.

However, on days when I had a clear to-do list, getting there was much easier. And I did get much more done at CoCo than I would have done at home.

Take-away: Coworking is best for those who have work to do.

Lesson #2
Another barrier I put in my own way was a refusal to drive. I live close enough to the St. Paul location to bike, and buses are far cheaper than parking in Minneapolis. I thought, "I'll save so much money on parking! And I'll get so much exercise! And I'll learn how to be a car-free commuter!" What really happened: the "satisfactory justifications for not showing up" bar was substantially lowered.

Take-away: Plan realistically for coworking, which may mean factoring in additional parking costs or planning to be there fewer days than you initially thought.

Lesson #3
I'm a bit of an introvert. Although I enjoy many social situations and dislike extended periods of being alone, my default mode of operation is keeping to myself, particularly when I'm uncomfortable. Because of this, when I entered the coworking space, I shuffled to a spot, camped out, and tried my best to keep my eyes on my laptop for as long as I could endure it (usually around 4 hours). Then, I packed up and went home.

People all around me were enjoying friendly conversations, meeting, greeting, hand-shaking, deal-making, etc. But it was a little beyond my reach. I only met a couple of people, and only on my first day, when I was specifically introduced to them. Again, I suspect I may have done better if I had clear goals (i.e., "Meet at least one person today because you need new clients or your cat will starve.")


Take-away: Coworking has very clear benefits for the naturally extroverted, and introverts may need to try a bit harder (though don't we always?).

And that's all I've got. I wish I had more to report.

Thanks to CoCo for a great month!